This isn't about Neil Gaiman

One of my favorite authors is Neil Gaiman and one of my favorite books is American Gods. This video isn't about either ..

Rock Art

I finally transferred the pictures from the little netbook and soon realized that I should have taken more. I guess I'm still taking pictures like my old film days, conserving each precious shot. Have to get my mind into the new century of digital.

Here are some pictures from a rock wall filled with indigenous petroglyphs. 

Click on the picture to zoom.

As I traveled through Utah, I noticed many of the petroglyphs vandalized or desecrated. Also, there seemed to be very little information about the indigenous tribes of the region. Full disclosure - I only traveled up the I-15 so that may change when I go into eastern Utah.

Have no idea how long these have been vandalized

I only took a few pictures of the desecration of these sites. The picture above is one of the least destructive. Quite frankly it bummed me out too much. 

Wrestling Kirks

Two Kirks in an epic arms battle

This picture makes me happy. It's the sort of happiness that happens when something occurs that's really awesome in a nerdy sort of way and has none of the marketing trappings.

Apparently, the two Kirks saw each other at some outdoor mall. Eyeing each other, they slowly sat down on a bench and without a word began to arm wrestle. Probably none of this is true .. but I want to believe it and so for today. This is how it happened.


Something completely different. All my pictures of Utah are on my little netbook and I can't find my USB drive. I will transfer the pictures over (one way or another) and start posting them today. That is if I can get over this incredible headache.

 Another meeting of kings with capes, I hope is not Photoshopped. 

Elvis and Vader - who is the greater?

Take care good citizens of EiMB.

Take the Civics Exam

See how much you know about American civics. Take the Intercollegiate Studies Institute - civics exam. You can find it here --> Civics Exam.

I got 81.82%, which is sadly almost 40 percent better than average Americans and 30 percent better than college graduates. Remember no cheating. ..

After taking the exam, see what ISI thinks of the results.

Additional Findings

Peter Falk Dead: 'Columbo' Star Dies At 83

Now this has bummed me out to no end. I loved Peter Falk. What a shame. I will always remember him best not as Columbo, but as the gentle, magical grandfather in Princess Bride.

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Weird, Dynamic, Fantasitc

Genius party from Aksel on Vimeo.

Fleeing to Sin

It is 9:45 AM here is the glorious city of Nephi, Utah. I discovered the only night life in Nephi begins shortly before sunrise when the tractors start up and the seagulls begin screeching. Yes, there are seagulls here. I will try to take a picture of two. They're skittish creatures.

The room here at the Economy Lodge was alright - it was clean and comfortable and owned by and Indian family who lived in room 104. I don't know why I am surprised by this but I am. The only thing that concerned me was the shampoo which comes in this little tiny packet marked only "Made in India", with no ingredients. There was no slit in the top so you had rip it open with your teeth, inevitably squirting a tiny amount in your mouth. Oh course, my brain has now worked over the consequences of this a million times.

So, I am heading out now. Maybe taking some pictures on the way back, maybe just hooking up some Elvis and just zipping through Utah like a sober version of  Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

***UPDATE*** - The pain has finally caught up with me. It hit around ten miles out of Nephi. My leg just caught on fire and right arm went numb. Neck and back locked up. I am home now. Got some good meds in me and crashing on the sofa. I will post a full Utah account a little later perhaps .. 

A Taste of Utah

A few pictures from my long, long day ..err .. overnight trip

Fort Cove

Fort Cove

Petroglyphs

Broken window - what else did you expect?

Ghost house from Stink Town - will explain later

When I feel better I will tell the story of the invisible hammer from Stink Town.

Great Raod Trip

The Mighty Kmuzu woke up this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. I've decided to escape the oppressive, infernal heat of Vegas and take a day trip up to the groovy parts of Utah.

I have three goals in mind -

First is to visit Cove Fort near Cedar City. Then a short distance north to Sulphurdale and then a jog to the petroglyph walls of Rochester Rock Art.

Leaving early so as to not get stuck in the heat.

Wish me luck .. although it is just Utah after all.



View Kmuzu Road Trip in a larger map

UPDATE **** Well, since we now live in a totally dispensable economy, no one carries a charger for my year and 1/2 old cell phone (Pantech) . And because I don't want to try to pick up a charger on the way up for a now dead phone - I have to wait until the AT&T store opens up. So maybe I will take a nap.

One more thing - ever notice how many movies have guns in them? I think guns are the new cigarette.

UPDATE 2 **** well went to two of the spots I wanted to go to - but got lost and ended up far north in Nephi. So, instead of trying to make my way back - I just got a room. The pain started coming back to me fairly bad .. So, I think I will take a nap and maybe post some pictures later on tonight.

Up and Down the Mountain.

Yesterday, my bother invited my daughter and me up to the his cabin in Utah. The cabin sit at around 9,300 feet and is near Cedar City. The snow had just melted a couple of weeks ago and although there were patches of snow left, it was warm and everything was just starting to bloom.

My brother had to get the cabin ready for the summer which meant, turning on the generator, getting the water supply ready and making sure there were no leaks. Also to check for any invading critters.

My Brother's Cabin

The little pond was overflowing from winter melted snow

All kinds of cabins - this one was converted from a trailer.

Broken down outhouse - use at your own risk.

Love

The video bellow is on our way down from the cabin. We descended some four thousand feet to Cedar City. The music is Painted Sun In Abstract- Soundtrack The Social Network and Lord Inchiquin - Franco Morone. It was shot using a  Veho Micro DV Camcorder and edited in Corel VideoStudio Pro X4




Copyright 2011 Cram/Kmuzu - All rights reserved. No duplications, distribution, copying or modification without written permission from me. Just drop me an email.

The Meaning of Life

There is nothing more enjoyable than seeing someone get so scared they lose their wits. The human brain just disconnects and the primate brain takes over. I'm not really sure what the purpose is of screaming. I think it has something to do with alerting all the other primates that trouble is on the way. And I'm also not really sure why watching some lady scream her head off is funny. But it is ..

My Own Little Contrail or Falcon Blackswift on the Move

So I was working out in the garden. Just pulling a few weeds, before heat of the sun  knocked out my legs, when I heard this strange sound - like a soft drum. I looked up and saw a lovely contrail. Luckily, I had my camera near me, so I took a couple of shots.

Hypersonic contrail with normal jet following behind. Copyright 2011 Cram

This is a closeup of the contrail and the colors have been enhanced via Photoshop. It looks like doughnuts on a string

Optical zoom on contrail. Copyright 2011 Cram

I looked up the particular type of contrail this is and I think I got a good picture of the hypersonic UAV plane called Falcon Blackswift (sounds like a superhero). As you can see from the pictures the experimental plane is being tailed by a normal jet.

**UPDATE** - I've done some investigating on this subject and there have been a few reports that this particular type of contrail is a normal jet exhaust. However, as you can see in the picture there is a normal looking contrail right next to the doughnut one.

When the incident occurred, I looked up and the doughnut contrail was half way across the sky with a tiny triangle spec creating it. It was traveling much faster than, I've seen most military aircraft travel in this area. Following behind the doughnut was a normal military jet. I'm going to guess it was an F-18 Hornet, cause I could barely make out the twin tail.

Full disclosure here --> My eyes aren't as good as they used to be because of MS. MS can definitely produce erroneous artifacts in vision.

So two contrails in the exact same atmospheric conditions producing two radically different effects. I'm thinking it was much more likely there were two different engines involved. Just saying ..

You can read the doubter's article here ----> Doughnuts on a String - Sorry

Click on picture to expand. All photographs are the exclusive property of Cram/Kmuzu. Copyright 2011 Cram/Kmuzu - All rights reserved. You do NOT have permission to publish, duplicate, copy or modify without my written permission. Just drop me an email, I'm pretty accommodating.

Read more about it here ---> And Still I Persist.
Here's a video of the plane ---> YouTube Aurora

Tysabri Day

It's Tysabri day .. Once a month, I have to sit in a hospital version of a La-Z-Boy recliner and watch a thick, yellow liquid pumped into my veins for an hour, then wait another hour as the nurses make sure I don't die from the drug. Of course, I'm being a bit dramatic; it's not nearly as bad as I make it out to be. Actually, the nurses here at Sunrise are very nice and the side effects are (so far) pretty mild.

Hopefully this medication makes my MS bearable through the summer.The worst part are all the unbearable noises from the other patients - gurgling coughs, sneezes, burps and loud snoring. Not to mention the cell phone conversations as some dude thinks the infusion center is his own personal office away from the office.

Had a conversation with SageMax yesterday. It was almost surreal. I recorded the whole thing and I think I'll put it up on YouTube as soon as I edit out all the on-hold music. Quite frankly though, I like to see if SageMax does the right thing and just refunds the money as offered in their contract. If they do the right thing, I'm just going to drop the whole matter and forget that SageMax or B&H exist.

So, I think I will work on my story for a bit - already have around 20k and then maybe I'll throw an orange at this guy snoring loudly in the other chair.

*** UPDATE - nothing like catching a cancer patient, still hooked up to their chemo smoking in the men's restroom. Really, you can't wait a couple of hours before lighting up a ciggie? And to think these people are allowed to vote.

Facebook Users DROP In U.S.: Millions Left The Social Network In May 2011

Facebook founders are a mostly Libertaria­ns. I'm not saying there's anything wrong about being a Libertaria­n, but if you think about the tone of Facebook, its focus has a kind of narcissism about it. Facebook is about getting people to pay attention to you. It's not about building relationsh­ips, nor is it about focusing on establishi­ng a community. It's all about look at me, see what I am doing and what I have accomplish­ed. I think it's this feeling of competitiv­eness that promotes animosity and frustratio­n.

If you consider the founding principle of Google is to "do no harm" and Apple is "We Create the Future We Want" and "Help People Create.", it's easy to see the stark difference­s to Facebook or even Microsoft. Not that there's anything wrong with having competitiv­eness and individual­ity as the focus of your product. It works great with Groupon.

However, I think after a while, the Libertaria­n model of Social Networking fails. People want more than just a place to brag, advertise or market their friends. This is essentiall­y why Live Journal and MySpace failed. My prediction is that either Google or Apple will fill the spot after FB.

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

What kids imagine, parents fear

I don't remember how vivid my imagination was as a kid, but it was pretty screwed up. This video is very good, but certainly NSFW or for the faint of heart.

Robot Pirate Booty

We are the robot pirates - we are made of metal from our head to our privates.

It's Over Update

Not EIMB, the school year is over. Las Vegas just went back to a nine month schedule so now is the start of summer vacation. Already the temperature here is going to break 100, that's almost 40 degrees Celsius for those who live in rational countries.

I am trying to keep the garden alive under these conditions. So far, I've lost around five plants and three are not looking so good. However the tomatoes are loving the sun and growing like weeds.

You may have noticed that some ad-banners have been added to EIMB. It's not been much of a success, but that's okay. I'm doing it more for experimentation than anything else. Anyone who claims they can teach you to make millions from the web is just lying.

I had a friend who was desperate for money. His family was in dire financial straights. So, he goes to this seminar, where for just six hundred dollars and fifty dollars a month, they'll teach you how to sell their merchandise on the Internet. He ended up losing all his money, when the company declared bankruptcy eight months later.

Gather round my loyal EIMB citizens. Questions you should ask yourself if someone claims they can make you rich.

1. Why do they need you? If the business is making so much money then why involve you in the process? What do you bring to the table other than your life savings?
2. If the business is making so much money then why do they need to sell the idea, book, DVD, etc ..?
3. If they want money then don't walk away, run away.
4. Cash is King. Don't do any work until the check is in the bank. Actually makes sure the bank clears the check.

I've worked for several millionaires and one billionaire and I can tell you without exception that rich people hate other people making money. Rich people don't want you to be rich. They like you poor and desperate.

Many times the services these type of companies charge outrageous fees for, you can do for free. For instance, Google offers Blogger - blogging service for free. That's right - EIMB empire runs on a budget of around thirty bucks a year, most of that going to maintain the web address.

Here is my (uneducated) financial advice. Put your money in a too-big-to-fail bank, preferably in a CD or savings account. If you're going to invest in the stock market, purchase a no-load mutual fund. And don't get caught up in this Gold Standard scam. It's fine to have a few gold coins on hand, just in case, but no more than a thousand dollars.

I want you to prosper my loyal EIMB citizens - so that you may continue to click on my little advertisements. Maybe one day I will earn the minimum ten dollars necessary to get a check from Google.




Disclosure - I have absolutely no knowledge on how to invest money - NONE. If you want to know what to do with your money ask your bank, find a good, qualified financial investor or accountant. All I'm saying is be conservative with your money.

Still Workin' It

Still helping the wife get these second graders out of the classroom and into summer. In the mean time, have some 8-bit fun with Goldfish.


Goldfish - We Come Together (OFFICIAL) from Goldfish live on Vimeo.

Hold the Phone

My wife is an elementary school teacher, so in addition to leading the great EIMB empire, I'm also the personal servant to 18 second graders. And this is the last week of school. All of this means, I have no time to work on anything but delivering - fruit platters, apples - for Happy Apple Faces, paper plates for sunflower frames and helium balloons.

I was hoping to review the new release of Elvis songs called, Elvis is Back, instead I present to you a flying lawnmower. Enjoy.

Wii U - The next Wii console system.

At the 2011 E3 conference, Nintendo announced it's brand new Wii console called the Wii U. Now I don't know how many more vowels Nintendo can stuff into a name but the system looks pretty awesome.

The Wii U has a 6.2-inch touchscreen along with analog controls, motion sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer, speakers and a camera. The controller can be used in a variety of ways with the Wii, including video conferencing, and digital interchange between controller and screen. All Wii games, controllers and accessories work are backwards compatible with the new system. It will be available sometime in 2012. - Huffington Post

Here's a video of the Wii U presentation at E3



More Wii U information ---> This is my next

Kickstart Cicada Princess

There's an interesting new business incubator site called Kickstarter. The concept is fairly simple: You help fund a creative project by donating money. If the set amount of money is raised in a given time period then in return you get a predetermined reward for your donation. I call it a donation because you don't get your money back plus interest. You get a gift .. a bonus.

Quite frankly some of the projects on Kickstarter are a bit dodgy. You can fund anything from a start-up comic book to a purchasing a man-size bunny suit for a children's play.

From Penny Arcade

I decided to fund a project called, Cicada Princess. The project is a short-film based on a children's book of the same name. The film uses miniatures and puppets to create an unbelievably realistic  but magical world. The creator, Mauricio Baiocchi was a animation supervisor at Industrial Light and Magic. In 2002, he opened his own studio called Assemble.

Cicada Princess project is trying to raise around $52,000 with 33 days to go. The funding levels and gifts are:

$15 - A thank you and credit on the Cicada Princess film website. 

$25 - A Cicada Princess HD DVD signed by director + a set of postcards of cicada artwork

$100 - Cast in resin and individually painted, each bug on the bridge stands at about 4 1/2 inches tall. At this level we are offering the HD DVD signed by the crew, a set of postcards of cicada artwork, and a bridge bug from the film.

$150 - All of the rewards to this level but also the full color book signed by the Director and crew of the picture.

$250 - All of the rewards to this level with the addition of a limited run Cicada Princess figurine. Standing at 6 1/2 inches tall and mounted for permanent display, each princess is cast and painted by Steve Ferrera, Art Director of Cicada Princess.

$1,000 - An articulated full size ballroom cicada puppet. Each stands at 11 inches and comes with a handmade dress or suit and applicable jewelry accessories. And of course an HD DVD and signed Cicada .

$3,000 - All of the rewards to this level plus an Associate Producer title on the credits of the picture. 

I pledged 25 bucks, just couldn't afford the $100 level, although I seriously want that bug.

 

Cash is King

 In Vegas there is only one color that matters - green

A couple of weeks ago I was at the bank. It's one of those too-big-to-fail banks, waiting to make some changes to one of my accounts. I sat in the little waiting area in the middle. Why don't they put real magazines for people to look at instead of just bank propaganda?

It was kind of busy. There were three or four people waiting in line, when this woman walks in. This only really happens in Vegas. She was around twenty-three years old, about six foot tall, weighed no more than 125 pounds and had been enhanced .. if you know what I mean. She wore a small leather miniskirt and a tight white t-shirt. She was obviously either a dancer or a stripper - not a grinder, there is a difference. None of which I found unusual for Vegas, except that she had a medium-sized canvas bag stuffed with something draped over her arm.

Now my choices were to either continue reading - Ten Ways to Financially Plan for Hospice Care or I could watch her .. you guess which one.

It took about ten minutes for her to reach the front and be helped by a teller. The bank teller was in her thirties, smartly dressed with a short bob cut and glasses. The dancer said something and then loosened the draw strings and gently poured out several bricks of cash.

Nothing grabs your attention like a brick of Benjamins. The whole bank just stopped, transfixed by the money. The teller quickly gained her exposure and the stacks of money disappeared behind the bullet-proof plexiglass. Poof - the money vanished. Having worked in a casino for a number of years, I have a sort of idea about these things .. and I would estimate that the amount of money was in the 40k range.

The teller picked up the phone and I could hear it ringing in the bank manger's cubicle. The bank manger picked up the phone, spoke for a few moments and then hung up and dialed a number. Now I can hear the phone ringing in the bank's financial planner's office. I see him pick up the phone.

Two minutes later both the bank manger and the financial planner are shaking hands with the dancer. The bank manger is in her fifties, in good shape wearing a sharp business dress/suit. The financial planner is much younger. In his early thirties. Slicked back hair, firm chin .. in good shape.

I see that the financial planner is well trained. He is making eye contact only .. no wandering. A short, firm handshake.

I've dealt with the bank manger before. I've seen her gently deny a loan request from an out of work mechanist, rebuke and scold a business man for improper deposits and with me she has always been friendly and attentive. Now she is all mother hen. There's not even slightest hint of being judgmental or condescending. It's like she's found a long lost daughter and is welcoming her into the bank family. The financial planner is stiff and nervous. I think he realizes he's only inches away from cold, steel death if he makes one mistake.

They sit in the bank manager's cubicle. The financial manger jogs out and gets everyone water. A few minutes later a bank teller walks in and gives the manger a small paper receipt. It must be the total amount of cash, but I'm not close enough to hear the amount.

The bank manger smiles .. first true emotion from her. She then starts busily typing on her computer. The dancer is now family.

A couple of days ago, I signed the last of my paperwork. I asked my banker if she remembered the woman and asked what happened. She told me she was a dancer/stripper for a very high-class joint and that she was just taking all of the tips and stuffing them into a bag. When the bag got too full, she stack the bills and put a rubber band around them. Incredibly she just kept the bag in the car and kind of forgot about the money. There was more money in the car than the car was worth.

Then she was driving up Eastern Ave., listening to the radio and heard about a rash of car breakins, looked across the street, saw the bank and decided to make a deposit.

And that's how it works in Vegas.

20k on the way

Almost reached 20,000 loyal visitors .. the kingdom is growing and my power to rule the world approaches .. thank you loyal subjects .. thank you

Friday Picture Day

Friday's Interesting Internet

A new section for the EIMB empire - so new I haven't even created a proper logo for it. Don't know if  I will continue this .. but here it is .. interesting stuff I found on the Internet.. enjoy.

I am not the creator or originator of the pictures. Just displaying them for your enjoyment.

First Paintiing on the Market

I've not sold artwork on Ebay in a long time, but I thought I would give it another shot. I am selling my "Not About Stupid Stars" painting. It's a 12"x12" pulled cotton canvas on a 3/4" wood frame. The materials are acrylic, watercolor and pastel pencils and it's varnished with medium gloss acrylic. If you're interested I'd pick it up now before all those millionaires start bidding ...

Ebay post ---> "Not About Stupid Stars"

Copyright 2011 Cram / Kmuzu

Garden Pictures with Lumix DMC-FH5

Well my new camera from Amazon arrive this morning. It shipped much quicker than I expected. So, I charged the battery and took some garden porn. The camera is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5 16.1 MP and so far so good. Very easy to use and the picture quality if fantastic. The auto-focus is quick if not just a little bit noisy. The menu system is bit confusing, not as intuitive as the Canon or the Pentax. As you can see the macro function is excellent and focuses quickly.The only problem that I've run into so far is that the SD card must be formatted a special way to record video. The size is incredible .. very thin with a solid frame.

I will but a link to Amazon if you're interested in purchasing the camera. For the money I think it's the best on the market. If you purchase through this link - yours truly get a little cash-love back through Amazon.

Click on picture for larger view

Even in Vegas flowers like this will grow

Ladybugs love artichokes.

Artichoke bloom

Baby Tomatoes

Zucchini on the way

Marigolds are as tough as nails

Can anyone say salsa?

Copyright 2011 Cram/Kmuzu - All rights reserved. No reproduction, publication or modification without prior written permission from me. If to want to repost or use in publication just drop me a message - I am very accommodating.

Hackers Lulzsec Say Sony Pictures Attacked, 1 Million Users Compromised (UPDATE)

A few days ago I timidly turned on my Sony PS3 again and signed in. I couldn't find all the free fantastic stuff Sony promised us when they totally lost any sense of profession­alism, but I did not expect Sony to ever understand what a customer is - let alone how to treat one. And then yesterday, I get this message that network was down due to maintenanc­e. I thought to myself, there's no way this has happened again.

I figured that Sony must have fired all those people who filled in their resume with crayon and got some real college graduate programers and system designers. How is is possible when you know there's a problem - that you are aware there are hackers in your system - you even know where the flaw are ... that your QA department can't even know that you're still vulnerable­?

It would be one thing if Sony still had not turned on the network and said something like .. we still haven't got it fixed .. but to go down for weeks, the go up and only a couple weeks after for the exact same reason crash again. is just well ... I hate to say this .. and actually I owe this guy some money for losing a bet. Microsoft Xbox is superior. There I've said it .. now I'm going to go cry -- in the corner by myself.

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Read Sony Hacked Again - PC Mag
ZD NET Hacked Again

Windows 8 Reviews: Is Microsoft's Tablet Strategy On Track?

Microsoft is not Apple or Google or Adobe - no matter how hard they try to be. Microsoft is the OS you find at your accountant­'s office or the patient's software your dentist uses. The bank uses it to check your IRA. Business doesn't want fancy .. they want reliable. They don't want interestin­g .. they want easy to understand and use.


MS pigeon holed themselves - they wanted the business market and they got it. Here's the problem - A typical business isn't going to spend a lot of money on a fancy new OS or new hardware. And with Google's OS and some of the open-sourc­e OS's gaining ground there's really no need. Also, Star/Open Office is a perfectly acceptable (and free) Word Possessor, Spreadshee­t and Database.


What does MS bring to the table anymore? Have you used MS Office 2010 - Horrible. Not CSS or HTML compatible­. Try placing more than one picture into MS Word and see what happens to your beautiful layout.


My prediction is that eventually almost all government and private business (those not involved in design, production or advertisin­g) will drop Microsoft OS and Microsoft Office for some generic-br­and PC Unix OS that mimics a Windows type environmen­t. It will be boring and without any features, but will be stable, reliable and inexpensiv­e.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5 - I'll Take One Please

My beloved Pentax k-x has been sent off to the great beyond and will not return - if it returns at all for a couple of months. Leaving me without a camera. So I've done some research and I've decided to purchase an fairly inexpensive point-and-shoot.

It finally came down to between two cameras. The Samsung EC-SH100 Wi-Fi Digital Camera with 14 MP and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5 16.1 MP. 


The Samsung has some really interesting features - the craziest being that it is fully Wi-Fi compatable and easily hooks into Facebook, Twitter, and Picasa. I really do hate trying to swap out SD cards .. and plug the cards into my computer and download the files .. it is such a pain.


However, if you just judge the camera features and performance then the Panasonic wins out. It's 16 mp compared to 14 mp and has a greater ISO range.


Since, both are similarly priced I decided to go with the Panasonic.

Dear EIMB citizen if you are considering purchasing either of these cameras please use the link to the right .. cause your commander and leader gets a small bit-o-cash if you do. Thank you .. thank you .. thank you.

Facebook Goodbye.

Today I deactivated my Facebook account. And it feels good. It feels really good. Facebook was no longer enjoyable. I spent half my time arguing with people I barely knew. It felt like I was being more and more confined by the network. Facebook was defining me than the other way around.

Also FB was going to initiate a "dislike" button. Just what I need more judgmental friends and relatives. Not to mention all the stupid commercials and marketing that was pumped through each entry. Now Facebook is going to rent movies and download music .. It's all too much.

So, I am taking a break .. I'm thinking six months or so .. and if I still feel as positive as I do now. Then hopefully forever.

If you want to get in touch, just drop me an email at elvisinmybasement@hotmail.com

Do We Really Need People to Tell Us We're Busy?

I was Stumbling around and came across an article in Accidental Creative called, "Do We Really Need More Time?" by Todd Henry. You should read the article before reading this post, but if not then I will summarize. ----> More Time.

These types of articles really bug the crap out of me, because the author assumes the reason people don't engage in some particularly productive activity is they just are doing too much other stuff. Regardless if it's healthy, productive or effective, this other stuff provides for our needs. If television didn't give people something more effectively than say chess, then Milton Bradley would occupy half of Best Buy.

I try to look at stuff I do from a cognitive behavioral point-of-view - with a bit of existentialism thrown in. Everything we do is for a reason. There's actually some purpose to watching television or playing World of Warcraft. These are tools that provide some purpose.

With CBT, you try to be cognitively aware of what you are doing and why you are doing it. For instance instead of going into the fridge and pulling out a gallon of ice cream and then like some zombie sitting in front of the television scooping out frozen brains, maybe you try to find a more productive tool, such as taking a walk to calm that nervous, anxious energy you've built up throughout the day.

Anyway, I wrote a response to the article which I've included in this blog.

Comment to article: Sometimes I read an article and I'm just stunned at the reverse thinking. Americans today work harder and longer hours than at almost any other time in our history. We're pushing the same amount of hours that were worked before the New Deal. We work longer and harder than almost any industrialized country - including Japan. Do we work to live or live to work?

Furthermore, activities such as reading a book, chatting with friends and exercising are actually good things - that build and strengthen creativity. We as a society should be doing more of this - not less. Please people reading this blog - take my advice go buy a good book like, Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey and then discus with a friend at lunch .. you'll be shocked at all the creative ideas that will spring forth from your brain.

Speaking of brains and books - I recommend, The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge. It equinoctial explains that our brains actually mold and change with our thoughts and actions. Meaning - if you want to be creative then must do creative things. Sitting at your computer or reading some book on the latest Java registries ain't gonna cut it

Save yourselves!!! go now - call a friend - have lunch - a long lunch - I'm serious, order coffee - look outside the window - find out where your server is from .. laugh a little then go to used bookstore. Live the distraction before it's too late.